Hell and Heartbreak
by Penelope Fiction
Summary: Aida, Cassandra, Elinor and Layla are now in Camelot. What fates await them there? My first proper Merlin fan fic. Be kind.
1. Chapter 1

**Aida's POV  
**

I remember our mother better than the others. I had known her longest, that was probably why. I was sixteen when she died. That means that Cassandra and Elinor were fifteen and Layla was thirteen. I feel sorry for Layla. She doesn't remember much about our mother. Cassandra and Elinor fill in the blanks for what I missed, which wasn't much.

After our mother died, I had to take charge. I was only sixteen, but I immediately had to get a job and be able to provide for the family. My father was long gone. He had run off with another woman when I was five and hadn't come back since. I didn't miss him. I could barely remember him.

Now, as we walked into the gates of Camelot, I remembered the letter I was sent with the royal crest emblazoned onto it.

_Dearest Aria,_

_We have never met, but no doubt you have heard of me. I am Uther Pendragon, the High King of Britain, but I doubt that you didn't know this. I was a close friend of your mothers' when we were children. Ever since her death, I have lost a companion and an advisor._

_What I suggest is that you and your three sisters come to stay with me in Camelot's castle. You have no legal guardian and although you are now twenty-one, I'm sure your mother would have liked it better had you been provided a lovely home and food to eat._

_I have, of course, arranged for a job for you in Camelot and your younger sisters may resume with their tutoring if they wish. There are many career paths available in Camelot and many friendly people willing to teach them._

_The other focus of my letter is a rather serious one at that. I have a son, Arthur, who is your age. He is the crown prince at the moment, but will soon become King. It would be my fondest wish for you to someday wed him. Rather than meet him on the day of your wedding, I propose that you meet him and then make a decision. It would mean much to me for you to consider him as a potential husband. Do not be fooled by his lack of gallantry, he is a very kind and compassionate young man with whom I hope you will become the best of friends._

_I am eagerly awaiting your reply._

_Yours Sincerely,_

**Uther Pendragon**

_High King of Britain_

I had wondered how my mother had had such good friends in high places. I had written back immediately and told him that it would be our pleasure to take up his offer, and that I would strongly consider Arthur as a future husband.

So here we were with a suitcase in each hand at the gates of the castle, where Uther himself was supposed to greet us.

I hadn't known what to expect of the man, but when he came out I realized that he was handsome in an elderly way. Beside him was a blonde, broad shouldered young man of about my age. I presumed that he was Arthur.

"You must be Aida." Uther said as he stepped forward.

"Yes. And you must be Uther." He embraced me and there was an awkward moment when he hugged me.

"I would like to introduce my son, Arthur." He said.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Father, I am perfectly capable of making my own introductions."

Uther looked back at him. "Yes Arthur, but you don't. This is Aida. She is the eldest of these girls."

"Hello Aida. I hope that you will be happy here." He said, as if he were reciting a memorized speech.

"Thank you." I replied. Arthur nodded his head in greeting to the other girls. His eyes glinted when he saw Elinor (which wasn't surprising; she had this effect on many men). But something changed in his gaze as he looked toward Cassandra. She blushed when he looked at her, but met his gaze.

Uther must have noticed this moment. He decided to break the awkward silence that followed our introductions. "You must be tired. Let me show you to your rooms."

There were four available rooms in the castle. Luckily we were allowed to choose our rooms. Layla was brave enough to choose the room next to Uther when all of us silently contemplated the possibility.

When Cassandra had claimed the room next to Arthur, I didn't complain. I decided to room next to the Lady Morgana with whom I was already well acquainted. Before her mother had died, our mothers had been the best of friends. We had known each other for most of our lives and were the best of friends.

We didn't know where Elinor was to room, until Arthur called a handsome young man named Merlin to the room.

He looked at Elinor briefly with interest before saying, "This is my manservant, Merlin. Unfortunately, the only room left is inside our medical man, Gaius', chambers. You will have to room next to Merlin, but I'm sure that won't be a problem as he will be nothing but a gentleman." He emphasized these last few words before Elinor spoke.

"Thank you Arthur. I'm sure I will be very comfortable."

Elinor motioned for Merlin to show her the way and they walked out of the room, I heard them beginning to converse before they turned the corner.

When our meeting with Uther was over, I went to see Morgana. I had frequently corresponded with her in letters, but I had decided to surprise her this time without notifying her of my arrival.

I knocked on her door and a young lady answered the door. "May I help you?" she asked.

"I'm Aida. I am a close friend of Morgana's. I am afraid that I am unannounced but I really would like to see you."

The girl hesitated.

I heard Morgana's familiar voice echo through the room. "Gwen, who is it?"

"A girl named Aida. She claims that she is one of your close friends..." Gwen trailed off.

I heard Morgana take a sharp intake of breath before running to the door into my open arms.

"Aida! I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed.

"I know." I smirked.

Gwen smiled.

"Morgana, are you going to introduce me?"

Morgana nodded earnestly. "Gwen, this is Aida, my most treasured friend."

I saw a twitch in Gwen's eyes before she smiled at me and shook my hand.

"I'd better go. I'm meeting Merlin somewhere." She quickly said and walked out of the room.

I gave Morgana a questioning look. She shrugged.

"So, what do you think of the castle? The clothes? The _men_?" she emphasised this last comment with a smile.

"Uther is very welcoming and Arthur seems nice enough. Except he acted like it was a burden to meet me. I could tell that he thought that Cassandra and Elinor were attractive, though."

"So, which one will he choose?" Morgana asked teasingly.

"Ask him." I replied with a smirk.

Morgana hugged me again. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too." I replied, but the comment wasn't above a whisper.


	2. Chapter 2

**Cassandra's POV**

I watched Arthur carefully as he looked my way. I could see that his expression had changed. I was overjoyed, though I was careful to mask it. Usually, people cast me aside because of my beautiful twin sister, but Arthur had barely noticed her.

I returned his look with a smile as I met his eyes. I could see that he almost smiled back before he began speaking to Elinor about her new roommate, Merlin. After Merlin had received his instructions, he and Elinor walked out of the room.

After Uther had dismissed us, I went to my room to unpack my belongings. I thought about Arthur and his handsome arrogance so much that I must have summoned him telepathically, for there was a knock on my door and there he was.

I eyed him carefully and suspiciously as I waited for him to speak.

"I'm told you know how to use a sword." He began uncomfortably.

"Yes." I replied.

He removed his glove. He hit my shoulder softly with it.

"I challenge you." He whispered.

I nodded, following him out.

From Aida, whose job was now to mind the armour, I received a sword and several pieces of equipment. I took a deep breath before we began.

Arthur immediately tried to attack and I parried him. Then I attacked him and he did the same. This went on for several minutes until I finally found a small area to poke my sword in. I didn't stab him with it. I pushed him with my scabbard until he fell to the ground. I smiled at him sweetly, and then I walked away.

I enjoyed fighting Arthur. I hadn't had a chance to practice swordplay since two years ago when I had more pressing matters. Elinor would always practice with me, whilst Aida would judge and Layla would scold us. Layla was very self righteous.

I missed my mother. I missed her warmth and her love. Aida was a wonderful sister, but only a satisfactory replacement mother. She didn't have the devotion that my mother had. She couldn't comfort a person as she was too tough. Aida couldn't be a mother just yet. She was too young and wasn't incredibly sensitive. Of course I would never say this to her face.

When it was time to dine, Elinor came and got me. We walked in silence until she decided to ask me something.

"Do you want Arthur?" she asked me seriously.

I smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

Elinor sighed, always the mature one. "The simplest of fools would know."

"Yes I want him." I answered. "And I will get him."

Elinor eyed me suspiciously while we walked to the dining hall in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Elinor's POV**

I listened silently as Uther gave his address to us. The other girls chose where they wanted to sleep and the only room left for me was inside the medicine man's chambers, where Arthur's manservant, Merlin, lived.

As I looked at Arthur's perfectly sculpted body, I could tell that he was devastatingly handsome. He didn't have any feature out of place. Having said that, the way he carried himself as if he were incredibly arrogant.

After Merlin had received his instructions, he motioned for me to follow him out. As soon as we walked out of the room he turned to me.

"I'm Merlin." He said, holding out his hand for me to shake.

"Elinor." I said, taking his hand.

"I guess you're going to be living with us now." He began.

"Yeah. It looks that way doesn't it?"

"I hope you'll be happy here." Merlin said sincerely.

I nodded my thanks as we reached the chamber. I followed him to an empty room which was right next to his own.

It was completely bare apart from a bed and dresser. There was a window which overlooked the castle grounds. It was clear that I had the best view in this wing.

I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled the pine wood smell. It reminded me of home. My house was completely made up of pine wood. The scent would have made me cry had it not been so beautiful.

I missed my mother. I hadn't known her as well as the others. I had spent most of my life longing for a father. All of my friends had wonderful and friendly fathers and I could only imagine what mine could have been like.

Nevertheless, I still missed her. My mother was my teacher and mentor. She loved me like she loved none of her other daughters. All of her daughters, except Aida, had inherited her beauty. I had inherited some of her looks and my father's brains. I had been hoping to become a doctor, so it was a good coincidence that I would be living with one.

I studied Merlin as he spoke to me. I noticed that he was quite handsome. He had beautiful midnight blue eyes that seemed to sparkle, and wonderful face features. His physique was also to be commended. His only faulted features was his abnormally large ears, which I couldn't stop staring at out of the corners of my eyes.

He wasn't as good looking as Arthur, that much was evident, but he did have a certain charm about him. Arthur was attractive, but he didn't seem to be able to feel human emotions. He was too, too perfect and he seemed to be very conceited, vain and proud.

I stopped myself before I could have a fantasy about Arthur's good looks, and began to unpack my possessions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Layla's POV**

After Uther had finished speaking to us all, I walked to the courtyard that he had described to me. As soon as I had entered, I felt the aura of a magical place.

It was a beautiful garden, unique somehow. It had a bed of flowers at every end and a beautiful tree in the corner. The grass felt like a green velvet cushion as I lay down on it.

I gazed up at the sky, looking at the clouds passing by slowly above me. This was one of the few moments when I could feel complete relaxation. With the peaceful sounds of the tree swaying in the wind, I allowed my mind to wander.

Being only sixteen, I didn't know all of the stresses of the lives my sisters led. I was somehow always more peaceful than them and definitely more laid back. I didn't have to work or study, as I learnt everything from the novels I read, so I spent my free days walking through the town helping the townsfolk in their shops, or sometimes tending to my garden, which I had now abandoned.

Although I did not know my mother as well as the others, I missed her with an achingly strong sensation in my heart. I did not remember much, but I seemed to remember everything that my sisters did not. They focussed on the main details, whilst I remembered the little ones.

I remembered that my mother always smelled like the ocean, because of her midnight strolls. She said that the ocean reminded her of my father, who had left us when she was pregnant with me. I remember that her favourite flowers were hyacinths and that her favourite gemstone was a sapphire, which reminded her of my father's eyes.

I remember that she was a very experimental cook, so the meals were usually left to Aida from the age of ten. I remember that my mother knew how to crochet and sew. She could mend virtually anything.

God, how I missed her.

I was so immersed by my reverie that I didn't notice that a boy had been sitting next to me and watching me for the past half hour. I wouldn't have noticed him at all, had he not gently put his fingertips onto my shoulder and asked me a question.

"Do you come here often?"

I was taken aback by his tone. It was a gentle voice, but it was filled with expectancy. I almost didn't answer until I looked up at him. His hair was a dark chocolate colour and his eyes were a grey green. His body was muscular, evidently from hard labour.

"No. Actually this is my first time." I answered carefully.

"I thought so. This is where I go to pass the time, when I have the time. I've never seen you here."

"I just moved to Camelot today."

"Really?" he asked. He seemed generally interested.

"So, where are you from?" he asked.

"I don't even know your name. I can't tell you anything about myself yet."

"Elys." He said, motioning for me to speak.

"I'm Layla." I told him, and then I began to speak.

The next couple of hours passed very quickly. Our conversation involved us telling each other about ourselves. I learned that Elys was eighteen years old and had been living in Camelot since the age of fifteen. I was told that he was a blacksmith. He didn't tell me much about his family. I also learned that he was a good friend of the lady Morgana.

We could had talked for hours, but Morgana had come and interrupted Elys as he spoke.

"Elys, Uther wants you to mend a hole in the wall. Also, he asked me to order you on his behalf to stay away from the Livingston sisters."

Elys nodded. He looked in my direction. I had told him my last name. For Morgana's sake, he pretended to be bidding me farewell for forever, but he whispered in my ear, "Meet me here at midnight. We'll talk then."

I nodded, hardly able to contain my excitement. When he had left, Morgana spoke.

"Layla, Elys is a good friend of mine and I would appreciate your staying away from him. I don't want him to get hurt. I saw how he was besotted by you."

"Don't be silly." I replied, but on the inside, I was smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

It hadn't taken me long to realise that my sisters and I were incredibly lucky to have received that letter from Uther Pendragon. In fact, it seemed a little suspicious, but I was always paranoid.

Considering that I had only met the man a week ago, he had been very welcoming and warm. He was exactly the kind of man I had wanted my father to be and I appreciated his compassion very much.

Morgana had tried to convince me otherwise, telling me that Uther was a cold and cruel man who took pleasure in punishing the public. But I couldn't believe her this time. Uther was much too kind to be as malicious as she described.

But I had to tell Elinor and Cassandra to be very careful. They were magical and Uther had already told me of his prejudice against magic.

Layla had said a lot less these days. She spent a lot of her time in the garden, but she never told me what she did in there. She walked around now with a dreamy look on her face and she was a lot quieter and even more relaxed than usual.

I worked in armoury now. That meant that I had to outfit all of the soldiers of Camelot. That included Arthur, who was incredibly arrogant and pig-headed. He seemed to think that the world revolved around him and that everyone should cater to his every need.

He was attractive, that I could admit. And I could see that inside him, there was a kind heart that would help him to become a good king. Arthur was a good person, shadowed by his love for violence. I could see that he would suffer if Camelot's people should ever perish.

The one thing that Uther and I did not agree on was my imminent marriage to Arthur. I did not feel anything for him and Uther refused to accept it. I didn't think that he would be evil enough to force me to marry Arthur, but I think he was trying incredibly hard to get me to accept the proposal.

I don't think Arthur was fond of me in that way either. He was always polite to me, even when his father was not around, and did not respond when I reprimanded him about bullying Merlin.

I sometimes worked in the forge with Gwen and her father, Tom. They were teaching me how to bend steel to create a sword. Then I could make myself one and I was definitely thinking of making one for Uther after I was practised.

Life was wonderful for us in Camelot, much better than in Arviel. We had food, water, shelter and jobs. We had a wonderful life established here.

Cassandra had Arthur teaching her how to be royalty. It seemed he had made a match for himself. He was also teaching her swordplay, though she hardly needed teaching. They were getting rather close and he seemed to be her only friend in Camelot.

Elinor was incredibly busy. Apart from spending every spare moment with Merlin, she was learning the art of medicine from Gaius the medical man. She had always wanted to use her magic to save lives and she knew that if she could save one life with her enhanced talent, her gift would be worth bestowing onto her.

Layla was too young to have a job or a career yet, but whenever she was not in the garden, doing whatever she was doing, she was in the palace library reading every book she could get her hands on.

Life in Camelot was a perfect fit for us. Camelot fit us like a glove.


	6. Chapter 6

**Cassandra's POV**

It was like one of those games. He would stare at me and I would stare back. Then we would turn away and act like we had never looked at each other. And it was a good fortune that we played this game, for Uther didn't approve of any of Arthur's relationships unless they were with Aida.

What Uther saw in Aida, I had no idea. She was incredibly plain. Her brains were something else, but since when did a king care whether his queen was intelligent or not? A queen had forever been an accessory to the ruler.

Arthur was absolutely irresistible. He had beautiful midnight blue eyes and blonde hair. He had a muscular build and a lovely voice. It was no wonder I had fallen for him.

It was a wonder to me how much I had wanted to kiss his perfect lips. I imagined it in my head over and over in my head so many times that I thought I would go weak at the knees the next time he spoke to me.

It was unusual for me to be feeling like this. I was usually the sister who knew how to handle young men, although Elinor was always the one getting them. She was very beautiful. Although we shared blood, we looked and acted completely different.

Our mother had comforted me, "It's okay, Cassandra. One day an amazing man will find you and he will choose you and not Elinor." Somehow I had always found that hard to believe.

I needed a father to tell me how boy's brains worked, because truly I was clueless. I had been trying my best to send Arthur signals, but his beautiful head hadn't seemed to grasp the fact that I was interested in him. He seemed more likely to follow his father's order and marry Aida.

It seemed that I was the sister with the ruined destiny. I had no man, no job and no hobbies. So what was I? Sometimes I felt I was a figure moving incessantly towards death, never changing, never becoming anything more than a figure.

Did I have some sort of future lying in front of me? Or was it always Elinor's destiny to take everything that could be mine.

Even when our mother had told my sisters and I that our father was magical, it was only Elinor who had received magical powers. Everything good happened to her. She was simply a young girl with a lot of good fortune.

What I had come to notice was that Elinor and I seemed to look incredibly different to everyone else. Especially me. Elinor, Aida and Layla all had my mother's green eyes and brown hair (although Layla's was slightly reddish from being outside so often) and I had blonde hair and blue eyes. My mother and my father had neither of those things.

How could I have gotten these genes when none of my relatives seemed to look this way? How could I be the only one who didn't have my mother's looks?


	7. Chapter 7

**Elinor's POV**

I looked out of my window and could see Cassandra and Arthur sword-fighting in the courtyard. Seeing them laughing and teasing each other made me see that Cassandra truly was happy that she had someone to share her talents with. It made me wish that I had someone to share my talents with. But of course that was impossible. I had to keep my magical talents a secret, as my mother had before me.

I sighed and walked into the main room. I bid a good morning to Gaius and Merlin and I sat at the table and got ready to eat breakfast. Merlin replied to my good morning, but I could see that he was somehow distracted. In his arms he held a book which he was studying. Being interested in books, I looked at the cover and was shocked at what I saw.

The book was completely identical to my spell-book, but I had been studying it when I had awoken, it was still in my bedroom. What was he doing studying a spell book?

I interrupted his reverie. "Merlin?"

He immediately looked up at me, carefully marking the place in his book. "Yes?"

"Why are you studying a spell book?"

I could tell that he was caught off-guard, but his answer was straight.

"I need to know how to recognize a sorcerer; otherwise they'll be running all around the kingdom behind Uther and Arthur's backs. We don't want sorcerers in Camelot." Merlin said. I saw that he smiled, like he was enjoying some sort of private joke.

"All right." I said my voice shaky.

I couldn't believe it. I was living in the same house as a person who wanted my kind of people dead. I would have to tread lightly and cover up all of my magical equipment. It seemed that sorcerers were more welcome in Arviel than here.

Thinking about Arviel made me think about someone incredibly special to me who lived there. His name was Eliot, and I loved him. He was a year older than I was and he was a sorcerer like me. We had known each other ever since I was four and we began our romance when I was fifteen. We had broken it off because we were afraid of the long distance for our relationship. We didn't think that we could handle it.

Now I was afraid, I missed him more than ever. I needed a person to talk to. Another sorcerer. He was someone who could help me and tell me what to do. I needed him.

I remember how his kisses used to comfort me and how at his touch I would become completely relaxed. I loved him so much that even now it hurt to think about him.

After I had eaten, Merlin left to go and do some chores for Arthur. That left some time for Gaius to teach me some things about the practice of medicine. At the end of our lesson, he had told me that I would become his prodigy. He said that it was clear that I was incredibly talented.

I felt that a career in medicine was the right choice for me. I loved helping people and I had saved a person more than once. Now I just had to know how to practice medicine properly. I felt that if I could save a person with my enhanced talents, all of my studying would be worth it.

I remembered the look that Merlin had given me when he was speaking about sorcerers. It was a look of disdain and disgust. For that brief moment when he had surveyed me with his midnight blue eyes, I had wished that I wasn't a sorcerer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Layla's POV**

It was half an hour until midnight, so I had time to slip away. I put a warm coat over my pink nightgown and tip-toed out of my room. I walked as quietly as I could past the doors. I saw Aida talking to Uther. They had seemed to be getting quite close. He was the father that Aida never had. She had always wanted a father much more than the rest of us.

I crept past them and they didn't hear me. I saw that Cassandra's room was empty and she was across the hall in Arthur's room. I saw them polishing their swords and having a seemingly intimate conversation. Before I had made the decision to turn away, their swords had fallen to the floor and they were kissing each other hungrily. I decided not to intrude on their special moment and continued to walk.

I caught a glimpse of Elinor through her bedroom window. She was sleeping. Merlin was sitting besides her, reading, and occasionally glancing at her. They were such a beautiful couple.

I continued out to the garden. I couldn't wait to see Elys. The grass felt so soft under my bare feet. I sat down beside a bunch of lilies and waited for Elys.

I sat there for an hour looking at the stars and waiting for him, but it looked like he had stood me up. I lowered my head onto my knees and sobbed.

I sat there for another hour and cried. Then when I had decided to leave, I saw him sitting next to me. He silently put his arm around me as I spoke.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

His reply was enough to make my heart beat ten times faster. "Long enough to figure out that I love you."

I couldn't believe it. Finally, a man had noticed me and not my sisters. I was loved. And I knew that I loved him back.

He picked a lily out of the bunch and gently put it into my hair. Then he leaned towards me and kissed me on the cheek. We both stood up and decide to meet again the following night. I hugged him goodnight and walked back towards the castle.

I knew that he loved me, but it was wonderful to hear him say that. I had no doubt in my mind whatsoever that I loved him back. In my sixteen years of life, I had never known a person who matched how I felt about every subject. He was not only the man I loved; he was also my best friend.

I couldn't believe my fortune. I had found the most wonderful man on earth.

Love was in the air, but for once I felt that I was the luckiest one.


	9. Chapter 9

**Aida's POV**

It was clear. Camelot had driven my sisters apart. Before, we used to spend time together and tell each other everything, but now I couldn't believe how far apart we had become. I never saw any of them and when I did, they were reluctant to talk anyway.

Cassandra was always busy with Arthur. They were always riding or sword-fighting. She could never find a spare moment to talk to Elinor, let alone me.

Elinor could always be found studying Gaius' medical journals. She hadn't practiced her magic for a while, which caused some worry, but she seemed fine.

I never saw Layla. She was always in her meadow reading stories or writing poetry. Sometimes she would return with a daffodil for me, but otherwise we didn't speak.

Come to think of it, I was busy too. I was always talking to Morgana or Uther. Maybe I hadn't found the time to talk to them. I was going to ride and see my father's grave and possibly visit my friends in Arviel. Morgana would be accompanying me, to ensure that I wouldn't get lost.

Although I was enjoyed my newfound freedom and the fact that I was free of any responsibilities, I missed my sisters. We used to be so close and now I couldn't keep track of their whereabouts.

If my mother was alive to see this, I would be in big trouble.


End file.
